Commander Nebo took the stage.

"My brothers and sisters, welcome to the next 300 years of your life. Draftee basic combat and ore mining training will make you elite at four things.

One. Ore mining. The reason we are here. Our society cannot continue to exist without precious metals. You will learn about traditional mining techniques and robotic mining. After one tour at joint task force obsidian you will be considered a subject matter expert. If mining was still permitted on our planet and performed outside the military you would be one of the highest sought after dwarfs in society.

Two. Killing spiders. If you're a pacifist, you better give that shit up now, because spiders will kill you without a thought. However, the reason we are here is to collect ore. Killing arachnids is never our end goal, just a necessity to get it.

Three. Engineering. We do not hire contractors to build things here. The R-M-M-C built everything you see here.

Four. Cleaning. If we don't hire engineering contractors, we are definitely not hiring cleaners. You will clean up after yourself and keep my base spotless.

You will think of nothing other than ore and death. You will not eat, drink, sleep or shit without thinking about mining or murder," General Nebo said and then walked off the stage and walked back to his office.

"I was expecting a more grandiose and arousing speech. Maybe, that's why father keeps him here," said Fry.

"I appreciate his honesty and conciseness of the speech," responded Barnaby.

Warcry took the mic and walked out to the center of the stage, "I am Gunnery Sergeant Warcry. I will be the head instructor for the next three years of your training. A year from now you will be molded into elite fighting units. Two years from now you will have extensive training and education in mechanical engineering, advanced mining techniques, electrical engineering, construction and robotics. In your third year of training we start taking you on mining missions throughout the belt. Don't worry. The first missions will be led by veterans. The rookie element will only be a single squad at a time. The rest of the company's elements are veterans. After six months it will be two squads. Nine months it will be three squads of rookies with one squad of veterans. At 12 months, you will take over and our veterans will remain as a quick reaction force and special mining mission force. Any questions?"

Fry expected Barnaby to have at least one hundred questions prepared in his head. However, his silence was out of character.

"With no questions, we will show you to your new home, let you get settled in and get some rest," said Warcry.

The draftees started to file out of the auditorium and get in line for transportation to the training campus. Dorn and Frackleberry walked up with a concerned face.

"Princes, do you know if they arranged for Frackleberry and I to stay at the headquarters lodging?" asked Dorn.

"I think you're staying with us at the training barracks," said Fry.

Dorn and Frackleberry looked incredibly dejected. Their shoulders slumped and their chests bent over and their ears drooped.

Fry and Barnaby looked at each other. As twins they always knew what the other was thinking.

"You know, you haven't been officially drafted, but you're likely going to have to go through draftee training," said Barnaby.

"If you're going to do a reality TV show about me, and follow me around. It would be incredibly dangerous for you and us, not to get this combat training," said Dorn.

"We can't have you endangering our lives," said Barnaby.

"Princes, I would never purposefully endanger you!" nervously exclaimed Dorn.

"I wouldn't care if either of you died," said Frackleberry.

"Oh. Frackleberry never giving a Frackleberry," said Fry.

"Classic Frackleberry, " said Barnaby.

"Yes, classic Frackleberry," said Fry with a disappointed frown.

"Fine! I would slightly care that you both would die. Die horrible painful deaths. Mostly because it would affect me personally. I should clarify. When I say it would affect me personally, I mean professionally. I would have to write your obituaries. Answer a lot of questions in press conferences. Not so much that I like either of you," said Frackleberry.

"Like us, not even a little?" said Barnaby with an even deeper frown.

"Fine. You two are my favorite Dwarfs," said Frackleberry.

"Of all time? asked Fry

"You're my favorite Dwarfs of all time," said Frackleberry reluctantly.

Frackleberry said this reluctantly, not because it wasn't true. She said it because she doesn't like anyone. Which seems counterintuitive as the public affairs officer. Fry and Barnaby are on a small list of Dwarfs that Frackleberry can even stand to be around.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Frackleberry had good reasons to dislike everyone. Which will not be discussed at this point in the story. It's far too interesting. That and it adds suspense and mystery.

Warcry walked over as Fry began to speak, "Gunnery Sergeant, do we have arrangements for Dorn and Frackleberry at the training facility?"

"This is highly unusual. The training facility has only ever accommodated three hundred trainees. But we have orders directly from the palace to accommodate your reality television series crew. If they are going to follow you around they need combat training to survive in the mines. They can sleep on cots until we bring the extra furniture from the headquarters," said Warcry.

"Cots he says," said Dorn looking confused.

"Cots he does say," said Frackleberry as she exhaled.

"Cots," said Dorn sadly.

Fry and Barnaby looked at Dorn and Frackleberry with a brief moment of empathy and then Fry thought for a moment. Barnaby gave him a discouraging nod. Fry isn't the kind to accept the advice of social cues.

"We get our own personal room, right?" said Fry.

Dorn and Frackleberry took offense to how quickly Fry moved on and thought of himself.

"Draftee Stone, the barracks are open bay," said Warcry.

"Well we can get the choice beds with the best location in the open bay, right?" said Fry.

Barnaby shook his head and placed his hand on his forehead.

"Draftee Stone, the beds are first come first serve. I'm afraid you're also most likely going to be last on the train if you don't hurry and get in line," said Warcry.

Warcry immediately turned and walked away as if Fry didn't even exist. He went to find some draftees to yell at and "assist" them onto the train. He had a timetable that didn't really matter given that they were about to be trained over the next three years, but Warcry loved to hurry up and wait. Having all his dwarfs in a row made some of the anxiety go away.

It took Fry a few moments to realize that no one was going to cater to his "status" any longer. He would no longer have any personal assistants. He wouldn't get choice rooms, seating or be allowed to cut to the head of lines. He was about to become a Marine, he would eat the same food as other Marines. He would live in an open bay and have no privacy. No special comforts.

At that moment he realized his life was changing!

He picked up his bags and sprinted to the train so that he wouldn't be the last in line. He thought about all the terrible locations his bed could be. He didn't want to be too close to the toilet room because it would probably smell and be noisy. He also didn't want to be too far from the toilet either. Just in case he had to pee late at night and get out of bed. He didn't want to be too close to any doors so he wouldn't be disturbed by others coming and going. He also didn't want to be too far from the does either. He figured they might get called out frequently for training and have to be in a formation and didn't want to be the last out.

Panic set in and he ran faster with all of his bags flailing.

Meanwhile Barnaby took his time. He could care less about getting to the train quickly. He took his time picking up his bags. He walked along at his own place despite Warcry's urgent screaming and throwing of bags into the rear train compartment. He kept his dignity despite all the urgency.

Dorn and Frackleberry were struggling. They had to carry all of their personal things plus the camera and video editing equipment.

The Bug Smasher Express is the underground heavy rail train system at Task Force - Obsidian. It got its name from before the majority of the arachnids were killed off on Obsidian. In the early days when there was still an active mine, dwarfs would have to fight spiders on their way to the mine entrance. The mine entrance which is where the training facility is now located. The majority of the spiders were killed off but a few were left to live and breed so future dwarf draftee classes could use them as a training aid.

The bug smasher was quickly loaded and everyone was aboard. Fry and Barnaby sat next to each other on the train. The other Dwarfs must have been apprehensive about sitting next to Fry as he has open seats all around him by the time Barnaby came already. This was odd because Fry had managed to be about the 150th dwarf on the train and in the end the train got fairly stuffed.

"You took your sweet time brother," said Fry.

"I wasn't in any kind of hurry," said Barnaby.

"I wanted to make sure I got a good seat on the train, so that I was one of the first people off and into the barracks," said Fry.

"Why do you want to get to the barracks so badly. Are you sleepy?" said Barnaby.

"I am still very tired, but I just want to secure the best possible bunk. Not too far or close to the toilet room and doors, You know that kind of thing," said Fry.

"Ah! What makes you think they don't assign bunks?" said Barnaby.

"What kind of crazy person would assign bunks? That sounds like a lot of effort," said Fry.

"What kind of person would voluntarily come back to Obsidian for multiple tours?" said Barnaby.

"A crazy person with nothing to lose," said Fry.

"Well I don't know, maybe you're right and it's just going to be a mad rush for the best beds," said Barnaby.

Fry looked surprised, "That's odd. Why did you concede your position so quickly? That's not like you."

Barnaby paused for a moment, "In reflection of our current situation I guess it wasn't worth it."

"For the love of Derrick! Who are you and what did you do with my brother?" said in total astonishment. "You think you know someone after tens of thousands of years."

Barnaby just smiled.

The Bug Smasher Express came to a stop. Right then Marine instructors came onto the train and began to yell at everyone to get off the train.

Barnaby and Fry with their bags in hand hustle off the train and into another line heading towards the barracks. They were almost at the front of the line and Fry was excited at the prospect of choosing his bunk.

They popped through the doorway and to Fry's surprise each bunk was labeled with a name. He was instantly dejected. He walked down the aisle until he found his name.

An Marine instructor walked by and said, "Prince, we thought you might like being by the toilet room."

"Thank you, sergeant," Fry said sadly.

The instructor nodded and walked away.

Fry stood in front of his new bed and began to have an existential crisis. Barnaby passed him by and raised his eyebrows.

"Damn, in front of the toilet room," said Fry to Barnaby as he shrugged his shoulders and walked away.